Ellen Politano was raised in Hilo, Hawaii. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science in 1977 from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and her Degree of Juris Doctor in 1980 from the University of Hawaii School of Law. She was appointed as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for the City & County of Honolulu in 1980 and worked in that position for eight years before entering private practice as a litigator at the Law Firm of Bradley A. Coates in 1989.
In 1991, Ellen started her own family law practice and she has concentrated in this area for over 30 years. She represents clients in all matters of divorce, paternity cases, domestic violence, and restraining order cases. She has received training in domestic violence and worked at the Domestic Violence Action Center as the Senior Attorney from 2008-2010. After her work with the Domestic Violence Action Center, she returned to her full-time family law practice.
Ellen emphasizes the usefulness of mediation as an alternative to litigation. She was appointed as Volunteer Settlement Master for the Family Court of the First Circuit in 2005 and continues to serve in that capacity. She is also a volunteer attorney for the Kapolei Access to Justice Program at the Family Court.
She has served, and continues to serve, as a pro bono attorney for Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii since 1999 and has received numerous awards for her outstanding legal assistance and representation of the under privileged community on Oahu.
She has served on the Boards of St. Francis High School and the Autism Society of Hawaii.
She is a Member of the Hawaii State Bar Association and the Family Law Section of the HSBA. She is accredited by the Hawaii Better Business Bureau.